The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity has called for actions already in place for years. Unfortunately, the results so far have been mostly disappointing. The role of science in combating obesity is to provide evidence for decision-making at political (national and local) level, in food industry, in health care settings and in educational planning. Evidently, more data are needed to understand the detailed aetiology of obesity and how to combat obesity at population and individual levels.

Bibliographical note

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